Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,
I was surprised at how Mr. Thomason dragged Brigham Young, former President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed Mormons), into a 150-some-year-old controversy about a horrible incident that occurred in our American History.

The Carlton Complex Fire, burning more than 256,000 acres (400 square miles) of land and destroying approximately 300 homes, was the worst firestorm in Washington State history. For Okanogan PUD, the fire destroyed 341 miles of distribution infrastructure, 60 miles of fiber and 22 miles of transmission infrastructure. Power outages in the south end of Okanogan included the towns of Pateros, Twisp, Winthrop and surrounding areas. Approximately 3,600 Okanogan PUD customers and 3,500 Okanogan Electric Cooperative customers were without power. Clearly, this was one of the worst disasters to ever hit Okanogan County.

Dear Gary,
World affairs: The mess our world is getting unprecedented attention. I am embarrassed to say I am part of the human race…sometimes. I want to whisper this….Have you noticed the chaos is beginning to resemble a pattern? Always someone is meddling on the dark side.

Dear Editor,
Dusty Gircux’s letter to the editor in the July 3, 2014 edition of the Gazette-Tribune articulates well the feelings of many in our community regarding the Oroville School Superintendent and School Board’s decision not to renew Ryan Frazier’s contract and also their abhorrent behavior in not letting Mr. Frazier or members of the community speak at a scheduled meeting when told previously they could.

Dear Editor,
Ms. Hart’s letter (July 10th) describing her sad experiences with the procedure used by the sheriff and local tow companies when a vehicle requires towing and impoundment prompts me to share an a similar, although less tragic, incident.

Dear Gary,
While paying our power bill recently an elderly lady was ahead of us trying to make heads or tails of her power bill. She was on the average plan and wondered why her bill was so high, $96 I believe. The lady behind the counter explained the averages had been adjusted, reflecting her increase.

Dear Editor,
On June 6 I was involved in an accident. I was thrown from my car and suffered a broken back, pelvis, 18 of 20 ribs, a slight brain bleed, broken hand, bruised spleen and aorta. I am lucky to still be on the planet.

Dear Gary,
The recent announcement by Canadian owned Kinross Gold Corporation to withdraw from mining exploration in Jackson Creek Roadless Area sounded to me like whining. Not only that, but they got the response they were looking for, Editorials that accuse the Forest Service of not being soft enough on them. So, people think they will take their toys, jobs and “gifts to the community” and, with no mention of their environmental record, go slinking back to Toronto. Don’t worry, that won’t happen.

Dear Editor,
Deep in every human soul is a love of those lands we call home. Our human environment, the place we live, where we grow our crops and draw our water, the open places we leave intact for all nature’s diversity, is our connection to life itself. Everyone has a right and responsibility to protect the place where they live. That is why we so strongly oppose plans to build a new hydro-electric plant at Enloe Dam on the Similkameen River, 3.5 miles west of Oroville, my hometown